BASKETBALL
The Maine Celtics were in control from start to finish as they snapped an 18-game losing streak against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, cruising to a 118-98 victory at the Portland Expo.
Luka Samanic had a double-double, finishing with 28 points and 18 rebounds for Maine, which defeated Rio Grande Valley for the first time since their first meeting on Feb. 20, 2010.
Marial Shayok added 17 points for the Celtics, while Mfiondu Kabengele had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Denzel Valentine chipped in 12 points.
NBA: Hawks Coach Nate McMillan said he has no plans to retire in the middle of the season, brushing back a report citing unnamed sources.
The Athletic reported that McMillan is considering stepping down before the season ends, but McMillan said that’s not true.
McMillan, 58, said he had no immediate reaction to the report. He is in the middle of his third season with the Hawks, who are 17-18 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
HOCKEY
ECHL: Mitchell Fossier scored two third-period goals to lift the Maine Mariners (14-11-1) to a 5-2 win over the Trois-Rivieres Lions (13-13-1) at Cross Insurance Arena.
Maine took a 2-1 lead on goals by Alex-Olivier Voyer in the first and Fossier in the second. Karl El-Mir scored his second goal early in the third to give the Lions the lead. Fossier then scored two straight and Patrick Shea added an empty-netter for Maine.
NHL: Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists in his 600th career game, and Colton Sissons added a goal and an assist in the Nashville Predators’ 6-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Anaheim, California.
FOOTBALL
NFL: Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari is expected to return to action Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings after missing three games to recover from an appendectomy.
Bakhtiari practiced on a limited basis all week and wasn’t given a status on Friday’s injury report.
• Lamar Jackson will miss a fourth straight game for the Baltimore Ravens because of his knee injury.
• Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman experienced a setback in practice this week and will not play in Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos, leaving his status for the remainder of the season in question.
Hardman has not played since Week 9 because of an abdominal injury that landed him on injured reserve. He returned to practice two weeks ago, but has not been added to the active roster, and under NFL rules, players that are not added after 21 days must be placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
• San Francisco 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel will miss Sunday’s game against Las Vegas, even after returning to practice for two days this week.
Samuel has been sidelined since injuring his ankle and knee during a win over Tampa Bay on Dec. 11. He took part in practice on Thursday and Friday on a limited basis but isn’t quite ready to play.
• Quarterback Justin Fields looks like he’ll have a little more protection when the Chicago Bears visit the Detroit Lions on Sunday, with right guard Teven Jenkins and left guard Cody Whitehair expected to return from injuries.
Jenkins (neck) and Whitehair (knee) went through full practices Thursday and Friday after missing last week’s game against Buffalo.
• Linebacker Joey Bosa is expected to be activated off injured reserve before the Los Angeles Chargers host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Coach Brandon Staley said Bosa has had two good practices this week. Bosa has missed the last 12 games after tearing his right groin during the first half of a Sept. 25 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Arizona will use its fourth starting quarterback in four games after David Blough was named the starter for the Cardinals’ game Sunday at Atlanta.
Colt McCoy was the expected starter but has been battling concussion symptoms. Coach Kliff Kingsbury elected to go with Blough over Trace McSorley, who started a 19-16 loss to Tampa Bay on Christmas Day.
SOCCER
RONALDO SIGNS: Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Nassr announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, ending speculation about the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future.
Al Nassr posted a picture on social media of Ronaldo holding up the team’s jersey, with the club hailing the deal as “history in the making.”
Ronaldo had been a free agent after his contract was terminated by Manchester United following an explosive TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners. He is coming off a disappointing World Cup where he was benched in the knockout rounds and Portugal lost in the quarterfinals to Morocco.
PREMIER LEAGUE: West Ham slumped to a fifth straight Premier League loss and was booed off the field by the home crowd following a 2-0 defeat to Brentford.
First-half goals from Ivan Toney and Josh Dasilva inflicted another damaging loss on manager David Moyes, whose team could find itself in the relegation zone – or even last place – once the rest of the round is completed this weekend.
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